Jack, who came to UAB in 2001, previously served here as associate dean for faculty development and research from 2008-12. He served as interim-chair of the Department of Management, Information Systems and Quantitative Methods from 2009-10, and he is a past recipient of the UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Jack, a naturalized U.S. citizen born on the island of Trinidad and Tobago, served as a United States Air Force officer for 21 years before beginning his academic career.

“Eric Jack’s passion for student success, commitment to accountability and love of UAB make him the preeminent choice as the next dean in what is a pivotal time for the UAB School of Business,” said UAB Provost Linda Lucas, Ph.D. “His foresight and leadership qualities provide our faculty and students the best opportunity to succeed. Eric’s intimate knowledge of the UAB Collat School of Business, UAB and Birmingham will help to foster interdisciplinary collaborations which will provide great advantage to the next generation of leaders in emerging global business.”

The UAB Collat School of Business is one of only 170 schools separately accredited since 1973 for both business and accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The accounting program was among the first 18 in the world to receive AACSB accreditation, and the School of Business is currently delivering accounting programs both on campus and online. The UAB MBA program was recognized for the seventh consecutive year by The Princeton Review, and the UAB MBA part-time program was recently ranked higher than any other school in Alabama by U.S. News & World Report. The industrial distribution program is one of only two programs of its kind in the Southeast. Also, to foster multidisciplinary collaborations across UAB, the Collat School of Business is home to the Healthcare Leadership Academy and the Center for Sales Leadership, and it is a key contributor in the newly formed Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

“The UAB Collat School of Business has been consistently recognized for achievement, and I am honored that UAB has confidence in my leadership and vision,” said Jack. “The School leverages UAB’s world-class multidisciplinary programs to differentiate our hands-on academic programs and to innovate by transforming intellectual property into startup companies that positively impact economic development in Birmingham.”

There are approximately 1,800 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students in the Collat School of Business. Jack hopes to increase those numbers through experiential learning, faculty scholarship and industry partnerships. There are also approximately 100 full-time faculty and staff members at the Collat School of Business.

Jack earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech, a master of business degree from Wright State University and a doctorate in operations management from the University of Cincinnati. His research interests include operations strategy, health care management, service operations, quality management and supply chain management.